The visit to this Sree Kolapiran/ Sree Vallabha Temple at Thiruvalla was a part of the Malai Nadu Divya Desams visit from 10th to 14th June 2025, organized by Mantra Yatra (website). Thanks to Mr. Balaji Davey and his team of Mantra Yatra for the excellent arrangement and personal care.
This place was called Thiruvallavaazh during Alwar’s period and is now called Thiruvalla. This might have obtained its name as Thiruvallavazzh since Maha Lakshmi (Thiru) lives (vaazh-வாழ்கின்ற) in the chest of Maha Vishnu. The original name of Sreevallabha might have been corrupted to the present name of Thiruvalla.
This is one of the 108 Divya desam of Maha Vishnu, and Mangalasasanam was done by Nammalwar (3205 – 15) and Thirumangai Alwar (1808-17, 2674-118).
மான் ஏய் நோக்கு நல்லீர்! வைகலும் வினையேன் மெலிய
வான் ஆர் வண் கமுகும் மது மல்லிகை கமழும்
தேன் ஆர் சோலைகள் சூழ் திருவல்லவாழ் உறையும்-
கோனாரை அடியேன் அடிகூடுவது என்றுகொலோ?.
தந்தை தாய் மக்களே சுற்றம்என்று உற்றவர் பற்றி நின்ற,
பந்தம்ஆர் வாழ்க்கையை நொந்து நீ பழிஎனக் கருதினாயேல்,
அந்தம்ஆய் ஆதிஆய் ஆதிக்கும் ஆதிஆய் ஆயன்ஆய,
மைந்தனார் வல்லவாழ் சொல்லுமா வல்லைஆய் மருவு நெஞ்சே!
…நம்மாழ்வார்
தந்தைதாய் மக்களே சுற்றமென் றுற்றுவர் பற்றி நின்ற
பந்தமார் வாழ்க்கையை நொந்துநீ பழியெனக் கருதி னாயேல்
அந்தமா யாதியாய் ஆதிக்கும் ஆதியாய் ஆய னாய
மைந்தனார் வல்லவாழ் சொல்லுமா வல்லையாய் மருவு நெஞ்சே. 1808-17 (2)
மன்னும் அரங்கத்தெம் மாமணியை, - வல்லவாழ்
பின்னை மணாளனை பேரில் பிறப்பிலியை,
தொன்னீர்க் கடல்கிடந்த தோளா மணிச்சுடரை,
என்மனத்து மாலை இடவெந்தை ஈசனை, (2771)
……. திருமங்கை ஆழ்வார்
Moolavar : Sree Kolapiran, Thiruvaazhmarbam, Sree Vallabha
Thayar : Sree Vatsalya Devi, Thirukozhundhu Nachiyar
Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple faces east with a temple pond. Garudasthambam (about 50 feet), and balipeedam are after the entrance gopuram. Balipeedam is about 6 feet high inside a mandapam. Shankha and Chakra are on both sides of the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar Sree Maha Vishnu is in a standing posture.
Garudan is in front of the Sree Kovil in the namaskara mandapam. In Sree kovil Lakshmi, Bhudevi, Varaha, and Dakshinamurthy through the Southern door, and Sudarshana Chakra through the Western door. In pradakshinapatha, Saptamatrikas, and Ashtadikapalas. In the Thiruchuttambalam, Ayyappan, and Nagars.
ARCHITECTURE
There are three garuda sthambas in this temple, one is in front of the entrance to the balipeeda mandapa, and the other is at the center of the mandapa with a shankha image at the base. A small portion of the garuda sthamaba is visible. The third one is about 100 meters from the temple on the side of the road. The front mandapa was built in recent years.
The temple complex consists of Thiruchuttambalam, nalambalam, pradakshinapatha, Sree Kovil, Namaskara Mandapam, dwajasthambam (3), and balipeedam. The balipeedam is about 7 feet tall. The Sree Kovil is circular in plan. The adhistanam with upanam was built with stone. The adhistanam consists of jagathy, muppattai, kumuda, and kapotam. The bhitti is plain with windows or pilasters. The bhitti was built with laterite stones and plastered. The pranala is simple and plain and emerges through Yazhi’s mouth, supported by a bhuta gana. A conical, eka tala vimanam is on the prastaram. The vimanam is called Saturanga Kola Vimanam.
The namaskara mandapam has a pyramidal roof and is in front of the sanctum sanctorum, which is open on four sides and supported with carved and ordinary pillars. A small mandapa with a pyramid roof is on the back side of the entrance, too. The nalambalam with entrances on all 4 sides forms an enclosure for the Sree Kovil.
The Namaskara mandapam and the east side entrance mandapam, after the balipeeda mandapam, feature minute and beautiful carvings on the east side entrance mandapa pillars in the Nalammbalam.
The Garuda Sthambam, made of black granite, stands 53.5 feet high and was built in 57 BCE; and believed that the same height under the earth. A three-foot statue of Garuda, facing the temple, is located at the top of the Garudhasthambam. This Garudasthambam has begun leaning; to arrest the leaning, a three-tier mandapa was constructed surrounding it. A new golden Garudasthambam was installed after the old Garuda sthamba mandapam.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
Since Nammalwar has sung Pasuram on Sree Kolapiran/ Thiruvaazhmarbam / Sri Vallabha of this temple, the temple might have existed before the 8th Century CE, built by the Cheras. Later, the temple received contributions from Cheras, Chozha, Pandyas, Venadu, Travancore Kings, etc.
The original temple was rebuilt by Queen Cherumthevi in 59 BCE. It was a spiritual and educational center by 1100 CE and had a Vedic school with about 1,500 students and 150 teachers. The Vedas, Vedanta, Tarka Shastra, Mimamsa, Jyotisha, Ayurveda, and Kalaripayattu were taught. The temple had an Ayurvedic hospital with facilities to treat 100 patients at a time.
Malayalam's earliest prose is the Thiruvalla inscriptions, dating to the first half of the 12th century CE, which were obtained from the temple in 1915. The 13th-century Unnuneeli Sandesam highlighted the temple.
It had 15 major priests and 180 subordinate priests. The temple acquired wealth and served food in golden banana leaves. In 1752-1753, Marthanda Varma of Travancore captured the temple from Pathillathil Pottimar.
Thiruvalla copper plates, also known as the Huzur Treasury Plates, are a collection of medieval temple committee resolutions found at the Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla, Kerala. The collection of plates, engraved in the old Malayalam language in Vattezhuthu with some Grantha characters, can be dated to the 10th and 11th centuries CE.
The collection consists of forty-three plates with writing on both sides, but more than half a dozen plates are missing. The contents of the copper plates belong to different periods. The plates were collected, rearranged, and edited at a late date. The plates are considered a treasure trove of information about medieval temple rituals, deities, festivals, castes, professions, personal names, plot names, and prices.
The plates were first published in the Travancore Archaeological Series by T. A. Gopinatha Rao under the title "The Huzur Treasury Plates". They were originally kept in the Sreevallabha Temple, Thiruvalla (now with the Archeological Department of Kerala).
One of the inscriptions records feeding 25 Vaisnavite Brahmins in this temple daily.
The temple is under the control of the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Ref:
Wikipedia
Travancore Archaeological Series
.jpg)
LEGENDS
Maha Vishnu gave darshan to devotees and Alwars as Krubha Murthy. This is the only place where a sannidhi was constructed for Sudarsana Alwar.
It is believed that the Moolavar murti was made by Viswakarma and given to Sree Kannan / Krishna to install at the end of Dwapara Yuga. But Garuda hid in the Netravathi River to install in Kaliyuga. The Murti was recovered from the river and installed in this temple. This was known to be Cheraman Perumal’s wife’s dream, about 2100 years ago, and the murti was recovered and installed.
It is also believed that Durvasar installed the Moolavar murti of this temple. During installation, Durvasar offered 12000 banana fruits. To signify that, a festival called Panneerairam Thiruvizha is conducted.
Maha Vishnu gave darshan and moksha to Kanda Karna, who offered a dead body to Maha Vishnu as naivedyam.
Nammalwar had composed the Pasuram by surrendering to Maha Vishnu. Nammalwar surrendered to Maha Vishnu in five places, and this Thiruvalla is one of the places.
In another legend, a lady called Mangalathamma used to observe the Ekadasi virdh and consume it on Thuvadasi day only after serving food to athithis. Maha Vishnu used to help her by doing small things. Tholasura, a demon, gave trouble to Mangalathamma for observing the Ekadasi. So she prayed to Maha Vishnu to help her observe the Ekadasi. When she was away, Maha Vishnu fought with Tholasura and killed him. After killing the asura, Mahavishnu, as Brahmacahi’s kola, came to Mangalathamma, covering his body with a deer’s skin, so that Maha Lakshmi would not be visible. Before covering completely, the Mangalathamma had seen Maha Lakshmi and asked the Brahmachari Who are you?. She further told him that he must be none other than Maha Vishnu and requested him to give darshan. Maha Vishnu gave darshan to Mangalathamma as Sri Vallabha. Mangalathamma felt that Maha Vishnu might be tired after he fought with Tholasura and offered food with mango pickles. This is still followed as naivedyam at this temple.
POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Vaikunta Ekadasi, monthly Ekadasi, Krishna Jayanthi, annual celebrations of Gajamela, Kathakali dances, etc. An annual 10-day festival will be conducted in Kumbham Month (Feb- March), the Uthra Sreebali in the month of Minam (March-April)
During ardha Jama Pooja, Utsava Murti is taken out for 3 times circumambulations and taken to the sanctum sanctorum through the back door.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept open from 04.00 hrs to 11.30 hrs and from 17.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.
CONTACT DETAILS
The mobile number +918592007918 may be contacted for further details.
HOW TO REACH
The temple Thiruvallavaazh is about 2.5 km from Thiruvalla Railway station, 10 km from Chengannur, 31 km from Kottayam, and 37 km from Azhapuzha.
The nearest Railway Station is Thiruvalla.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
The Garuda sthamba on the roadside
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
No comments:
Post a Comment